


Small Talk

by 200percent_inlove



Category: K-pop, Mamamoo, iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Crushes, Cute Ending, F/M, First Dates, First Love, First Meetings, Love, Love at First Sight, Meet-Cute, crackship, relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2019-01-09 22:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12285687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/200percent_inlove/pseuds/200percent_inlove
Summary: Kim Jin-Hwan doesn’t exactly like small talk, especially with strangers. But somehow, with Jung Whee-In, it just works.





	Small Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Again, taking from my old Tumblr blog. I was actually really proud of this one too ;_; Hope you guys like it just as much as I do LOL!

_7:25 AM – Monday_

“Oh, um, sorry – pardon me, excuse me!”

“W-were you speaking to me?”

“Ah, yes, um, you dropped your wallet just now.”

“Oh, my – my bag, it’s torn. No wonder it fell out. Thank-you so much!”

“No prob…lem…”

* * *

 

The petite girl tucks a long lock of brown hair behind her ear as she makes herself comfortable on the somewhat empty bus, her hand still carrying the wallet that was so kindly picked up by that adorable stranger. As she cranes her out towards the window, the fairy-like young man catches her eye and casts her a friendly smile.

 _He’s bundled up to his neck in clothes._ She observes intently, returning his smile with a quick wave. _Yet, his hands are still so cold. How cute._

Suffice to say, she hopes to see him again.

In a matter of moments, his bus arrives. He clambers aboard, hugging his scruffy backpack closer towards his chest and leans his head against the window. As the vehicle begins its long trek towards his university, lulling him into unavoidable sleep, the last thing that flashbacks in his memory were her cat-like eyes.

_They were so much brighter than all of the stars in the night sky combined._

Likewise, he, too, wishes for the chance to see her again.

* * *

 

_7:28 AM – Tuesday_

“…”

“Good morning.”

“…”

“Good…morning?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I had my headphones in. Good morning to you, too! Here, let me move my bag so you can have a seat.”

“Thanks. How are you today?”

“Thanks to a considerate gentleman, I still have my wallet and I purchased a new bag yesterday right after I got out of class.”

“Glad to hear that I’m still drifting around your thoughts. Your bus is running slightly behind schedule today.”

“Normally, this would tick me off. It’s one of my pet peeves, you see: To deal with tardiness. But since I have a new friend to talk, I don’t mind.” _Rather, I hope that it comes even later so I can spend more time with you – but you don’t need to hear that from me._

“So, you must live around here then, right?” _Way to be a creep, Jin-Hwan. Way to go._

“I live in that building right over there! I live in a studio apartment. It’s not the largest, but it’s convenient. Plus, it’s right next to the 7-11, which is my go-to stop for breakfast when I refuse to leave my bed in the mornings.”

“Just for that extra hour of sleep?”

“Exactly for that reason. You know a girl well.”

“I have an older sister that I lived with for a while before she moved back to Jeju Island after graduation, so yes, I definitely know how a woman thinks.”

“Your sister and I would get along. And yourself? Where do you live?”

“I actually live in the building opposite of yours. I’m on floor twenty-five.”

“Heh.”

“Something amusing?”

“I like how our first proper conversation didn’t require us to exchange names, or handshakes like conventional social interactions would require of us. I mean, we’re already comfortably talking about where we reside.” A sly smirk. “For all I know, you could be a serial killer in disguise.”

“Oh, please. I don’t do the killing; I got people doing that for me. I’m a badass gang leader with a hundred men under my rule.”

“And you also look like someone who would carry tiny Maltese puppies on his arms into your weekly meetings on whom to target next.”

“In the meantime, I’m Kim Jin-Hwan.”

“Jung Whee-In. I wish I had the opportunity to say more, Mr. Mobster, but alas, my bus has arrived.”

“As have mine.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“Ninety-nine percent most likely. I have an uncanny gravitational pull towards pastries, black coffee and cute girls. Maybe we can meet earlier?”

“Normally, flattery will get men nowhere. But let’s just say, we both share the same taste – minus the cute girls. I am highly attracted to kind, pixie-like gentlemen. And…I’ll think about it if I do want to sacrifice my sleep. Have a wonderful day, Jin-Hwan- _sshi_.”

* * *

 

Whee-In had a very difficult time restraining herself from breaking out into a wide smile. She was so glad that he made the first move – to talk to her, and introduce himself confidently. She wasn’t sure she had the nerves to do it, but the moment he tapped her on the shoulder gently, all signs of anxiety dissipated automatically.

Kim Jin-Hwan. The name echoes in the back of her head like a malfunctioning cassette player. She’s not sure if she likes his name, or if she likes him more, or if she likes the way that he flirted with her – probably the latter…and him, too.

Jin-Hwan leaps onto the bus joyfully, and the aging bus driver chuckles. “Something good happen to you this morning, Jin-Hwan- _sshi_? You’re not normally this happy in the morning, considering that you always chide me for driving too fast and waking you up.”

“You wouldn’t even believe it if I told you, _ahjusshi_.”

One look, and the bus driver already knew. _Ah, young love._ He should probably buy some flowers for his wife when he got off his shift just to reminisce about their past glorious days.

* * *

 

_7:15 AM – Wednesday_

“Jin-Hwan- _sshi_ , you’re early this morning.”

“Whee-In- _ah_! No headphones today?”

“Oh, Jin-Hwan- _sshi_ , I’ll have plenty of time to listen to music today when I’m studying in the library. I’m granted sparse time to talk to you; I can’t put that to waste now, can I?”

“My, my, that is awfully thoughtful of you.”

“You should thank me later. I felt quite generous this morning, too. I went into 7-11, and decided against buying just one cinnamon bun. Oh, and look at this, I have coffee, too.”

“God, this actually smells delicious.  It’s for me, right? You bought this for me?”

“…No, I’m saving it for myself.”

“So, judging by the bus you take, do you go to _Sungkyunkwan_ University?”

“I do. I’m a nursing major – I’ll be graduating next year in the summer. And, I’ll take a wild guess that you go to _Yonsei_?”

“Civil engineering. I’m graduating next semester.”

 _So he’s an oppa by age, but he looks so much younger than me. What is this nonsense?_ “How do you have time to look so well-dressed and well-rested every single morning?”

“I’m putting up a façade, Whee-In- _ah_. Do not be fooled by my appearance. Although, you do sound very impressed right now. Am I impressing you?”

“Is my opinion of that much importance to you?”

“Very much so.”

“… _Aish_ , you have icing all over your mouth.”

“Try not to change the – ow, Whee-In- _ah_! Don’t rub too hard – _OW_!”

“I’m sorry. You just looked like an Asian Santa Claus. There we go, much better.”

“Heh.”

“Now, what are you chuckling about?”

“You do realize that we just shared an indirect kiss, right? You used the napkin to dab at your make-up just now.”

“Oh, my – d-did that actually happen?”

“I don’t have any diseases; trust me – although, I do think that since our friendship has gotten to this point, an exchange of phone numbers is in order.”

“Jin-Hwan- _sshi_ , tell me: Are you always this smooth around pretty girls?” _Please say no._

“Not always. In fact, I’m much more introverted than you think. But somehow, with you, conversation just dribbles out of me like a waterfall.”

“I make you feel comfortable, then?” _I like this. I like this. A lot._

“One can say that.”

“Give me your phone. I don’t have much time! My bus is just turning the corner!”

“…”

“…There we go. Text me later, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

* * *

 

An indirect kiss. Whee-In only met Jin-Hwan for a few days, and they already shared an indirect kiss.

Their relationship – or whatever it was that they had – was proceeding at such a quickened pace. And whilst she was feeling wary about his true intentions, she couldn’t help but trust him already.

Yong-Sun would shake her head in disappointment, and call her innocently naïve. Moon-Byul would probably just tsk, and lament about how little Whee-In was growing up and falling in love (Wait, falling in love?!). As for Hwa-Sa, she might squeal and scream excitedly like a school girl at their shared moments.

…Was it normal for a girl to be _this_ excited when talking about her romantic affairs? She literally could not wait until she got to school today.

Jin-Hwan wastes no time in sending her a message.

It was true, he thinks to himself as he presses ‘Send’. He was never one to be too social with strangers. But somehow, from the get-go, Jung Whee-Ins’ presence was enough to break him out of his shell with her smile and her lively facial expressions. The power that she had over him – it was magical, it was powerful.

“It’s most likely oxytocin.” Chan-Woo murmurs that day at one of their group study sessions, his nose is buried deep in one of his textbooks.

As Jin-Hwan deadpans at him, Chan-Woo looks up innocently and continues with all seriousness, “It’s a hormone. It’s the chemical that gets released when you’re in the beginning stages of falling in love.”

Jin-Hwan only flushes in response as the rest of his friends all snicker, amused, and swats a rolled-up piece of paper at the younger mans’ head, missing embarrassingly.

* * *

 

  _7:20 AM – Thursday_

“So, I have a question.”

“By all means, please ask.”

“I don’t have class tomorrow.”

“Oh, what a coincidence. I’m free tomorrow, too.”

“Would you like to hang out?”

“Jin-Hwan- _oppa_ , there are certain things in life where you need to be more specific. For example, are we hanging out as friends? Or, is there something else that you had in mind?”

“Well, depending on your answer in the next thirty seconds, it will also allow me to determine with a ninety percent confidence interval if you like me back or not.”

“Thirty seconds to determine the cut-off points for a ninety-percent confidence interval? Hmm, that’s some crunch time.”

“…”

“…”

“…Whee-In- _ah_ , that’s my bus. Please tell me – ”

“My answer is… _yes_.”

“H-huh?”

“You heard me loud and clear. Give me a time later, and where you intend to take me tomorrow. Now, go! You’re going to be late, and your bus driver is honking!” 

* * *

 

He did it.

Jin-Hwan did it. They were going on a date. Tomorrow. He and her. She and him. Whee-In and Jin-Hwan.

He could give less than two shits about his impending midterm exam. In fact, who needed to graduate from university when he had the possibility of holding her hand tomorrow?

He’s teased her so much – it was only rightful of her to tease him right back. She liked seeing the panic in his eyes; she liked seeing him shaking his clenched fists, and unclenching them as he awaited her answer.

But he should’ve known: She was going to say yes, anyway.

* * *

 

_5:42 PM – Friday_

“Have I ever told you?”

“Hmm? What have you ever told me, Jin-Hwan _-oppa_?”

“You look beautiful in blue. I like you in that colour.”

“Why, thank-you.”

“But, I like you in general.”

“Wait…are you holding my hand?”

“Uh, I’m sorry, my hand slipped.”

“That’s a hilarious excuse to use on me, _oppa_. But don’t apologize; are your hands always cold?”

“I’m the humanized form of an iguana, Whee-In- _ah_. So, yes, I’m always freezing cold.”

“Then, keep your hand in mine. It’ll keep you warm. Plus, it’s an excuse to tug you along to everywhere I want to go, like…Etude House!”

“W-we’re going shopping? For _make-up_?!”

“Hey, you suggested Myeong-Dong. Not me.”

“…”

“I’m just kidding!”

“You’reluckyIlikeyou.”

“…You’reluckyIlikeyouback.”

 


End file.
